Alan Hale Jr. Starred In This Forgotten '50s Western Movie Filled With Historical Figures

CBS

It's a shame Alan Hale Jr.'s Western series "Casey Jones" never took off, considering the man gave more to the Western than any other genre in his career. From the 1940s to the 1960s, the actor, who became best-known for playing the Skipper on "Gilligan's Island," played every Old West archetype imaginable, showing up in all the classic Western TV shows of the era and even appearing in big screen Oaters with some of the great actors of the 20th Century. 1953's "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" didn't feature anyone on the level of Gregory Peck or John Wayne — both of whom worked with Hale Jr. that same decade. But it did develop a small cult following, and remains one of the more interesting overlooked projects in his filmography.

In 1953, Hale Jr. was busy leading his CBS series "Biff Baker, U.S.A." This was his first lead role in a TV show, and saw him appear alongside Randy Stuart in 26 episodes between 1952 and 1954. At the same time, he stayed busy in movies, appearing in five features in 1952 alone. That was the year he worked with Kirk Douglas on "The Big Trees," marking one of several times he shared the screen with a bonafide legend.

1953 was less notable in that respect. Hale Jr. didn't work with anyone of Douglas' stature, but he did play a settler named Fleming in the historical film "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas." It wasn't his biggest role but it is notable for being one of many collaborations between Hale Jr. and director Lew Landers. Still, "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" is very much a B-movie, and, as one Letterboxd user noticed, features a Pocahontas that "has blue eyes and speaks like the Hulk." If that intrigues you, read on.

United Artists

"Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" was directed by B-movie legend Lew Landers, who actually worked with Alan Hale Jr. on some of his best projects. This 1953 historical Western might not have been one of them, but it was a pretty ambitious project for Landers.

Anthony Dexter plays the titular Captain, who begins the movie at a tribunal in his native England where he recounts his experience of establishing the colony at Jamestown, Virginia. As you might expect given Hollywood's proclivities and the fact this particular film was being overseen by a poverty row filmmaker, "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" plays fast and loose with historical accuracy — though it should be said the historical record isn't entirely clear.

Smith recounts how he travelled to Jamestown and attempted to make peace with Chief Powhatan (Douglass Dumbrille). After the Native Americans capture Smith, however, the Chief's daughter, Pocahontas (Jody Lawrence), saves him from being executed by agreeing to marry him, thereby preserving peace between the settlers and the natives. Afterwards, Smith tries to forge connections with the indigenous people of the land, but his rival, Edward Maria Wingfield (James Seay) ensures peace is short-lived, arming the Native Americans and fomenting war. Hale Jr. plays settler Fleming, who volunteers to go on the expedition to meet Chief Powhatan and alongside Robert Clarke's John Rolfe, remains loyal to Smith throughout. He even gets a few lines, though he's not given much else to do.

United Artists

Alan Hale Jr. frequently collaborated with director Lew Landers throughout the 1950s. The B-movie maestro was one of the most prolific directors of the era, having worked as an actor in the silent movie era before becoming a director in the 1930s. Hale Jr. wasn't quite as seasoned, having started his career in the early 1940s. Regardless, the pair worked together multiple times in the 1950s, starting in 1952 when Hale appeared in Landers' "Arctic Flight." They went on to collaborate on 1954's "Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl" and 1956's "The Cruel Tower." Landers even directed a few episodes of "Casey Jones."

"Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" was their second time working together. It was also the second time Hale Jr. acted in a film written by Jack Pollexfen and Aubrey Wisberg. In 1952, the year prior to "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas," the pair had penned "Lady in the Iron Mask," which featured the future Skipper actor as one of the Three Musketeers, Porthos. That was significant as it meant Hale Jr. played the same character as his father, Alan Hale Sr., who portrayed Porthos in the 1939 film "Man in the Iron Mask."

Of course, bigger things were on the horizon for the future star of "Gilligan's Island." When he finally debuted as Captain Jonas Grumby in 1964, he became a household name almost instantly and "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" couldn't have seemed further behind him. Meanwhile, Wisberg went on to write 1970's "Hercules in New York" which introduced Arnold Schwarzenegger to audiences and was somehow even more low-rent than most of his B-movies of the 1950s.